There is currently no standard therapy for patients with cerebral anaplastic gliomas whose tumors recur following surgery, radiotherapy, and adjuvant nitrosourea chemotherapy. Temozolomide (SCH 52365) is related to dacarbazine and is believed to exert cytotoxicity by alkylation of guanine reesidues. Temozolomide has shown possible antitumor activity against gliomas in pilot studies. The present study is a phase II multicenter trial to determine the antitumor activity of temozolomide for patients with cerebral anaplastic astrocytomas at first relapse.